Enter Book Information Accurately
Complete guide for accurate book information entry. From ISBN search to manual entry and cover image addition.
What is Book Information?
Book information in Reading Forest includes the following fields:
- Title (Required) - Book name
- Author - Author name
- Pages - Total number of pages
- Publisher - Publisher name
- Cover Image - Book cover
Only the title is required. You can add or edit other information later.
ISBN Code Search (Recommended)
Searching by ISBN code automatically retrieves the book's basic information. This is the easiest and most accurate method.
About ISBN Codes
ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is printed near the barcode on the book's back or spine.
The ISBN is written below the barcode on the book's back cover as "ISBN978-4-...", etc.
Hyphens can be included or omitted when entering.
ISBN Search Steps
-
Open the "Add Book" dialog
You can open it using any of these methods:- From the menu, select [Edit]→[Add Book]
- Click the button in the toolbar
- Keyboard shortcut Alt+N (same for Mac/Windows)
- In the ISBN code input field, enter the 13 or 10-digit number below the barcode
- Click the "Search" button
- Title, author, page count and other information are automatically filled in
- Review and edit if needed, then click [OK]
If your book shows "ISBN978-4-04-112345-6" on the back cover,
enter "978-4-04-112345-6" or "9784041123456".
Information Automatically Retrieved by ISBN
ISBN search automatically fills in:
- Title
- Author name
- Page count (if available)
- Publisher
- Cover image (if available)
Some older books or publications may not be in the database.
In that case, search by title or enter the information manually.
Enter Information Manually
If you can't find an ISBN or want to register custom information, you can enter it manually.
Field Descriptions
Or record each author separately
Recommended Fields for Manual Entry
You don't need to fill in all fields. We recommend at minimum:
- Title (Required)
- Author (Helpful for later searching)
- Pages (Useful for tracking reading progress)
You can enter minimal information initially and add more detailed information later.
Search by Title
If you know the title, you can search for books by title.
Title Search Steps
- In the "Add Book" dialog, select the title input field
- Enter the book title (partial matches work)
- Click "Search"
- Select the correct book from search results
- Click [OK]
Sometimes multiple books have the same title (new editions, different publishers, etc.).
Check the author name and publisher to select the correct book.
Add Cover Image
Adding a cover image makes your book list more visually appealing and easier to browse. The cover image field in the edit screen offers two ways to set an image.
Camera Capture / File Selection / Google Images (Recommended)
Tap the button next to the cover image field to open the image source selection screen.
- Choose from files — Select an image saved on your device
- Take a photo — Launch the camera to photograph the book cover
- Search on Google Images — Open a Google Image Search with the book's title and author
The selected image is automatically resized. The storage location is determined by your connection status:
| Status | Storage | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive connected | Google Drive | No impact on file size. Most reliable |
| PC + no Drive | Local folder | Saved alongside rfnote |
| Mobile + no Drive | Inside file (base64) | File size increases. Confirmation dialog shown |
Using Google Image Search
When you select "Search on Google Images", a Google Image Search opens with the book's title and author.
On PC:
- Find a cover image in the search results
- Right-click → "Copy image address"
- Paste the URL into the cover image field
On Mobile:
- Find a cover image in the search results
- Long-press → Select "Download image" or "Save image"
- Return to Reading Forest and tap the button
- Tap "Choose from files"
- Select the saved image to complete the setup
Many mobile browsers don't show a "Copy image address" option, so we recommend downloading the image and using the button to set it.
External image URLs can stop working when the server removes or blocks the image. To keep images reliably, save them to your device and use the button.
Enter URL Directly
You can also type or paste a URL directly into the cover image field. If the image cannot be loaded, an error message with guidance will be shown.
Automatic Broken Link Detection
When a file is opened, external URL cover images are checked in the background. If broken links are found, a toast notification lets you search for replacements or remove the broken URLs.
Cover images saved locally on PC are automatically uploaded to Google Drive when saving the rfnote to Drive. No extra action needed.
For detailed instructions, see the Cover Image Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I enter multiple authors?
A: There are several ways:
(1) Separate with comma: "Author A, Author B"
(2) Separate with slash: "Author A / Author B"
(3) Enter only the main author
Any method works. Choose what's easiest for you to search later.
Q: I don't know the page count
A: The page field can be left blank. You can add it later.
However, entering page count makes tracking reading progress easier.
Q: The book is old and has no ISBN
A: Books without ISBN can be entered manually.
Title and author alone are sufficient.
Q: Is the ISBN for e-books the same as print books?
A: Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Generally, e-book versions are assigned different ISBNs than print versions.
If you can't find the e-book ISBN, enter the information manually.
Q: How do I distinguish between multiple versions of the same book (new edition, etc.)?
A: Add "new edition" or "2nd edition" to the title for easy distinction.
Example: "Norwegian Wood (New Edition)"
Q: Can I use cover images I find through web search?
A: Generally fine for personal use, but please respect copyright.
We recommend using images from official publisher websites.